Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Standpipe cover alternative?

Hey Team,

I've got a standpipe in my quarter acre pond, which I find myself having to tend to almost daily, especially since I'm still in the process of cleaning it up from the previous owner. There's algae, duckweed, etc. which keep clogging the drain. I've got a video which I'll link here as well.

My question is what you all think of this drain cover. It seems excessively tight with the amount of particulate it allows through. I don't want to end up with a clogged pipe where I can't access it easily, but I'd also like a little less oversight/maintenance on this area of the pond.

Here's what I have now.

Any help would be appreciated!

…ryan

That definitely looks under sized to me. Is that your only way for excess water to escape?

https://www.agridrain.com/shop/c52/bar-guards,-standard/

Hey Dave. Sorry yeah, I have an overflow/outflow but I prefer to keep the pond at the drain's level and it's been a pain so far!

Thanks.

…ryan

I created something like this with a plastic barrel and pvc pipe and fittings.

https://www.easywayplastics.com/i//tn_PA270060.JPG

rjackson… That looks cool, but it also looks like it would present the same challenge for me, which is that leaves and algae (especially dying algae after a treatment) would clog this daily. Is that not the case?

…ryan

RAH - Ah those are nice. I suppose I'd prefer the cover not to protrude out of the water for such a small pond. No need for navigational landmarks really. But some good options on this site.

Thanks.

…ryan

Is removing the perforated cap an option? Most stand pipes are just that, an open stand pipe. If you think you need some protection from solid throughput, the agri-drain guard would be a very easy/good option. They are made to perform well if there would be larger debris that could clog the system and let smaller debris pass...as the debris starts to build up on the drain guard, the water rises to the section of the drain guard that is not clogged and still allows for a strong flow. That's why they stick out of the water. I have added 1/2" mesh to my agri-drain to help keep small fish in, but it still functions the same way...it just clogs up faster.

I don't see many viable options for guards that stay at /below water lever. You could drain the pond down, add a large bell to the pipe with a larger diameter straight section and cap it with mesh or a large perforated cap. That would help keep it flowing with more accumulated debris than it can handle currently. The larger the bell and added straight, the better.

Ryan, You may have figured it out already, but the white dots in the picture are an "X" of pvc pipe. The X would sit on top of your existing pipe. The part above the white dots would be above the water level which may be an aesthetic issue for you. Since the barrel in my case was a much larger diameter than the stand pipe, it allowed water to be pulled in from under the surface. Nothing floating on the surface would be able to enter the standpipe.

That's a nice solution Jackson, thanks for the explanation.